This is a weekly column that dives into eight random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. Why eight? It’s a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. of course. That, and doing 2,632 of these would be a little overboard. – A.S.
1. I think we may have seen the last of Jason Garcia in an Orioles uniform. This whole situation smells a lot like the one that took place last year with 2013 Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar. The Orioles didn’t want to simply return Almanzar, so he developed an injury and then was eventually sent back to the Red Sox once he was healthy again.
I have a feeling that’s what’s going to happen with Garcia. I’m not saying the right-hander isn’t actually hurt, because it would certainly explain a lot if he is. We never saw the plus-fastball the O’s advertised in the spring. I don’t know if the team’s radar guns were jacked up, but I never saw Garcia throwing in the upper 90s. He maxed out at around 92-93 MPH and didn’t offer much movement or deception. If that’s the case, what’s the point? Garcia’s injury clears the way for Mike Wright, who many believe has some promise.
I’m all for anything that gets Garcia and his “white flag” out of the bullpen.
2. Injuries are a pretty common theme in this week’s “Thursday Thoughts.” Kevin Gausman is the latest to develop one. Again, I don’t know how serious this shoulder ailment really is, but it’s given the O’s another opportunity for some roster flexibility. Gausman had an MRI come back clean and says he feels fine, which is all well and good. The right-hander might be able to take advantage of this time to go down and establish himself as a starter in Triple-A.
That’s what I’ve been calling for all season. Gausman never seemed comfortable in the Orioles bullpen, and it showed in the results. He struggled to a 4.50 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP in 12 innings out of the bullpen this season. There were times where he didn’t seem like he was in a good routine and even talked about experimenting with a curveball. He wasn’t sure if he was throwing the curve instead of or in addition to his slider.
It sounds more and more like he’ll now join the Tides’ rotation when eligible and he can figure all of that out. When an opportunity arises in the rotation (and it will), he can slide in and hopefully hit the ground running.
3. More injuries? Yes, more injuries. Ryan Flaherty is back on the mend after hurting his groin again. Many will laugh, but losing Flaherty again really sets the team back, especially with Jonathan Schoop out. Flaherty serves a great purpose as a utility infielder and can fill in nicely as a backup. Now the O’s will be forced to rely on Rey Navarro and perhaps Steve Pearce to fill in at second base once again. Everth Cabrera is also making his way back from a bruised foot. He’ll start an injury rehab assignment tomorrow with Norfolk. While he hasn’t looked great this season, his depth is important to the infield.
I’ve seen a lot of people freaking out about the team’s slow start this year, but when you look at what they’ve gone through from an injury standpoint it’s easy to realize what’s happening. Many forget that Matt Wieters has yet to see the field this year, though he is scheduled to catch nine innings at extended spring training today. They also just got J.J. Hardy back from injury over the last week. The depth has taken multiple little hits, but the team hasn’t fallen too far behind. With the normalcy of a good amount of home games on the schedule, things should start to shift.
4. Defense has been one of the biggest issues the Orioles have faced during the early part of the season. It seems weird to even say that, because the one of the most consistent parts of Buck Showalter-led teams has been defense. The team’s 22 errors ranks in the bottom third of the league. The leader of that group is perhaps the most unlikely candidate, Manny Machado. Third base has been a bit scary this season, and Machado has eight errors to show for it.
GulfBird Photo/Craig Landefeld
The Orioles have to have their defense work in order to operate properly as a team. The pitchers rely on it because they don’t miss enough bats. The offense relies on it because of the pitching. Part of what allowed the O’s to win the AL East by such a wide margin last season was their strong starting pitching and the ability to hit the long ball, but it was also their defense. If the defense continues to falter, the pitching staff’s confidence will only slide downhill.
Defense is crucial to the team, so reestablishing a strong one would be a great idea, and doing it quickly would be even better.
5. There’s really only one team that’s been a thorn in the side of the Orioles this season, and it’s the one that just left town. The Blue Jays have seemed to have the O’s number so far, beating the Birds six of the nine times they’ve met. Baltimore is 12-11 against everyone else this season. It was nice to finally take a series from Toronto last night on a brilliant performance by Miguel Gonzalez.
The Blue Jays are a good team, but they aren’t as good as they’ve shown against the O’s this season. The Orioles are below the .500 mark, but so are the Jays. It’s not like anyone (aside from the Yankees) is really establishing themselves within the division. The Yankees seem like the biggest threat to upend the O’s as division champions, and not just because they lead the way six weeks in. The Yankees seem to have just enough offense, just enough starting pitching and a dominant bullpen. That’s not an awful formula. The Blue Jays are extremely young, the Rays are extremely banged up, and the Red Sox are all bats and have no pitching. Six weeks doesn’t tell you a whole lot, other than the fact that there’s still a lot of time left.
6. I’m looking forward to the Orioles actually getting out of the AL East for an extended period of time. It’s not just because I’m tired of seeing the Blue Jays, but that helps. This was supposed to happen a few weeks ago when the White Sox were in town, but we all know the teams were only able to play one of their three scheduled games.
Starting tomorrow they’ll get a stretch of 14 straight games (including the doubleheader makeup against the Pale Hose) against non-AL East teams. To this point, only three of the 32 games have been outside the division (the White Sox game plus two against the Mets). Even after a series against the Rays to close out May, the O’s get a seven-game road trip against the Astros and Indians for some more non-AL East fun. I don’t mind the way the MLB schedule sets up teams to play within their division more often than not, but I think that number needs to go down a bit. There should be a more even schedule among each league.
7. The story that Orioles employees are being compensated for the week of games that were rescheduled and relocated due to the riots late last month warms my heart. If you haven’t heard, Camden Yards employees are going to be paid for games they would’ve worked during the week of unrest, as well as the games that were moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Delaware North, which handles the concessions for the team, is also paying for time lost. Many people were left wondering how they were going to pay the rent or put food on their families table following that week of lost games. Ushers, ticket takers, beer vendors and souvenir pushers didn’t see it as lost games, they saw it as lost wages. It’s a great story that they will get that money back, and it’s one that should warm all of our hearts.
8. We started this off by talking about injuries, so why not finish it that way too?
Hunter Harvey, with an MRI for right elbow tightness, in an extended spring training game. No, we aren’t playing Clue. Harvey left his most recent outing because of tightness, which we all know could lead to the dreadful Tommy John surgery.
It’s heartbreaking for the 20-year-old, and though nothing has been decided, just hearing “elbow tightness” or “forearm tightness” scares the masses. Some believed Harvey could help the club later this season, but I really had eyes on next season for him to perhaps jump into the rotation. Harvey had yet to pitch in a real game this season after suffering a stress fracture in his right shin during spring training. Now he might struggle to reach a possible innings limit at all. If Tommy John surgery really is on the horizon, you can likely kiss a productive 2016 season goodbye as well.
